Yosemite Wilderness Permit — Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel
Yosemite National Park · California
Wilderness permit for overnight camping starting from the Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel trailhead in Yosemite National Park.
Get an alert when Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel opens on your dates.
When it opens
- 24 weeks
- Lottery opens 24 weeks before your entry date, at 12:01 am Pacific60% of the quotaYou apply on Recreation.gov.
- 1 week
- First come, first served from seven days before your entry date, at 7 am Pacific, until three days before40% of the quotaYou book on Recreation.gov.
Source: recreation.gov
70% of the openings our scanner caught on Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel were gone within 10 minutes.
Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel reservation dates
We alert you to cancellations and the 7 am release. Your start day also sets your lottery week.
October 2026
- Your start date
- Same lottery week: one application covers all 7 days
- Outside the Tuolumne Meadows reservation season (Jun 18 to Oct 14)
YOUR START
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Your lottery week is the October 4 to 10 lottery. It opens 178 days before you start.
1 · APPLY
Sun, Apr 12, 2026 to Sat, Apr 18
Opens Sunday 12:01 am, closes Saturday 11:59 pm Pacific. Up to eight options on one application.
Passed for this start
2 · RESULTS, THEN ACCEPT
Mon, Apr 20
Results by 5 pm. Accept by Thu, Apr 23, 11:59 pm.
Passed for this start
3 · YOUR 7-DAY RELEASE
Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 7:00 am PDT
The other 40% of the day's quota, first-come, first-served on Recreation.gov. Be logged in before 7.
Opens within a day
YOUR TIMELINE · LOTTERY WEEK, THEN THE LAST WEEK BEFORE YOU START
- SUN 12:01 AM · OPENSSun, Apr 12, 2026Applications open
- SAT 11:59 PM · CLOSESSat, Apr 18Applications close
- MON BY 5 PMMon, Apr 20Results
- THU 11:59 PMThu, Apr 23Accept by
- FRI 9 AMFri, Apr 24Leftovers go first-come
- 23 WEEKSCancellations any day. We alert you.
- 7 DAYS OUT · 7 AM PDTWed, Sep 30, 2026The other 40% open
- LAST DAY TO RESERVESun, Oct 4Three days before you start
- YOU STARTWed, Oct 7, 2026Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel
Source: National Park Service, Yosemite wilderness permit reservation window, 2026 table, and the wilderness permit FAQ. Times are Pacific.
Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel (pass-through) daily quota
20 people a day. 12 by lottery, 8 seven days out.
Counted in people, not permits
Lottery, 24 weeks out
60% of the day
12
7 days out, 7 am PDT
40% of the day
8
NPS trailheads table: Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel (pass-through) | 12 | 8 | Vault | Park at Lembert Dome parking
- daily quota
- 20people
- max group size
- 15people
How to get a Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel permit
As of September 2026, Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel in Yosemite National Park, California requires a permit issued via reservation. Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel is a high-demand permit, rating 7/10 on PermitSnag's demand index. Cancelled Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel permits are re-released on the booking system, and PermitSnag alerts you the moment one opens. The permit season for Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel runs June 18 through October 14.
- Type
- Overnight
- Location
- Sierra Nevada, CA
Step 1: Create a Recreation.gov account
Sign up at Recreation.gov if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.
Step 2: Know the release schedule
Permits release on a rolling basis. Check the release time for your dates.
Step 3: Be ready when permits drop
Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.
Step 4: Monitor for cancellations
If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.
Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel pro tips
- Book this one only if you intend to sleep past the camp. NPS enforces it
- The falls below Glen Aulin are the highlight, so give yourself a full day for them
- It is downhill in and uphill out, and the climb back is long
- Pate Valley at 19.2 miles is the natural three-night objective
- Eight of the twenty spots come out seven days ahead
More on Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel: Live availability activityWhen Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel permits open up
How much a Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel permit costs
Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel permit fee: Recreation.gov permit 445859: a $10 lottery application plus $5 per person if you win. A reservation made after the lottery costs a one-time $10 per permit plus $5 per person instead.
The Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel hike
- Route Type
- Varies
- Duration
- 2-5 nights
- Difficulty
- Strenuous
Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel landmarks
- 1Twin Bridges
NPS mileage. River crossing above Glen Aulin.
- 2Glen Aulin
You may not camp at the backpacker sites here on night one with this permit.
- 3Waterwheel Falls
The last of the big cascades below the camp.
- 4Pate Valley
Deep in the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne.
The pass-through permit: same trail as Glen Aulin, but you are not allowed to stop there. You keep walking into the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne.
About this permit
Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel is the pass-through version of the Glen Aulin trailhead in Yosemite National Park. NPS issues it to parties who intend to camp beyond the Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp on their first night.
NPS sets the daily quota at 20 people: 12 reservable by lottery 24 weeks in advance and 8 released first-come, first-served one week in advance.
The rule that separates it from the standard Glen Aulin permit is explicit: you may not camp at the backpacker sites at Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp on your first night. NPS also lists Half Dome as unavailable with this trailhead. Reservations for the Tuolumne area run June 18 to October 14, 2026.
The route
From Lembert Dome the trail follows the Tuolumne downstream. NPS puts Twin Bridges at 4.0 miles, Glen Aulin at 5.3 and Waterwheel Falls at 8.2.
The permit's defining rule is where you cannot sleep: NPS states you may not camp at the backpacker sites at Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp on your first night. Anything short of that is a different trailhead.
From there the options are long. NPS lists Pate Valley at 19.2 miles, May Lake at 12.5, Virginia Canyon at 12.7, Benson Lake at 29.5 and White Wolf at 28.7, which makes this a real gateway to the park's north country.
Why it matters
NPS runs Glen Aulin as two separate trailheads to keep the High Sierra Camp backpacker sites from filling with people who are only passing through. This permit is for parties heading beyond: down the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, up Cold Canyon into the northern region of the park, or toward May Lake and Ten Lakes.
The feeling
You walk the same slabs and cascades everybody else does, and then you keep going past the camp while they set up. Below Glen Aulin the river drops through California Falls, LeConte Falls and Waterwheel Falls one after another, and the crowd is gone.
Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel hike highlights
- A daily quota of 20 people: 12 by lottery 24 weeks out, 8 released one week out
- A first night that must be beyond Glen Aulin
- Waterfall after waterfall below the camp, with Waterwheel Falls at 8.2 miles
- Access on to Pate Valley, Virginia Canyon, May Lake and the north country
- Vault toilets at the trailhead, parking at Lembert Dome
How hard the Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel hike is
- Physical DemandFitness and endurance required4/5
- Technical SkillClimbing, scrambling, or specialized skills1/5
- Exposure RiskSteep dropoffs and fall potential2/5
- NavigationRoute finding and trail clarity2/5
- CommitmentDifficulty of bailing out mid-route4/5
Best for: Parties heading into the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne or the park's north country, with three or more days.
Recommended experience: Multi-day backpacking and comfort with a big descent and reascent.
Not recommended for: Anyone wanting a one-night trip to Glen Aulin, which needs the other permit.
When to hike Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel
Best time to visit
Reservations run June 18 to October 14 in 2026. Late June and July put the falls at full volume. September makes the canyon bottom bearable and the slabs dry.
- Peak
- July and August
- Shoulder
- Late June and late September
Summer
Big water early, hot in the canyon, storms in the afternoon.
Crowd level · moderate
- Advantage: Falls at their loudest in early summer
- Advantage: Full access to the north country routes
- Advantage: Long days for a big descent
- Challenge: Slick rock beside high water
- Challenge: Real heat in the canyon bottom
- Challenge: The climb back out
Fall
Low water, cold nights, dry slabs. Reservations to October 14.
Crowd level · low
- Advantage: Cool walking in the canyon
- Advantage: Empty camps
- Advantage: Easy walk-up permits
- Challenge: Falls much reduced
- Challenge: Short days for a long route
- Challenge: Early Tioga Road closures
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (5,000 ft)
Backcountry Tips
- Day 4: Extreme heat (100°F). Carry extra water, start at dawn.
- Day 5: Extreme heat (103°F). Carry extra water, start at dawn.
- Day 6: Extreme heat (104°F). Carry extra water, start at dawn.
Today
88°
67°
Wed
76°
65°
Thu
93°
66°
Fri
100°
69°
Sat
103°
76°
Sun
104°
81°
Mon
102°
80°
Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel photography guide
Golden Hour
Early light on the Tuolumne slabs upstream of Glen Aulin.
Best Light
Overcast at Waterwheel Falls, when the spray is not blown out.
Beat the Crowds
Everyone stops at the camp. One mile downstream you are on your own.
Classic Shots
- California and LeConte Falls in sequence below the camp
- Waterwheel Falls at high water
- The Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne from the descent
Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel rules, gear and safety
Gear checklist
Required- An allowed bear-resistant food canister: NPS says bears are active and have obtained food from backpackers here
- Water treatment
- Footwear that handles wet polished granite beside the cascades
- A stove, since fires are prohibited above 9,600 feet
Rules & regulations
- 01You may not camp at the backpacker sites at Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp on your first night
- 02Along the Tuolumne watershed, do all washing and waste disposal 300 feet from water
- 03Maximum group size is 15 people, or 8 for cross-country hiking more than a quarter mile off trail
- 04Allowed bear-resistant food canisters are required throughout Yosemite Wilderness
- 05Half Dome is not available with this trailhead
- 06If Tioga Road is closed on your date the permit is not valid and there is no refund
Hazards & considerations
- Wet, polished granite alongside the falls, which is the main injury risk on this trail
- A descent of thousands of feet into the Grand Canyon that has to be reclimbed
- Heat in the canyon bottom in midsummer
- Swift water through early-season runoff
Safety & planning
Emergency Info
Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel.
Food Storage
Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.
Gear Checklist: Required and recommended gear for Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel · Shuttle Services: Trailhead transportation options · Guide Services: Experienced wilderness guides
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Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel FAQ
What is the difference between the two Glen Aulin permits?
NPS splits them by where you sleep on night one. The Glen Aulin permit requires you to camp at the High Sierra Camp backpacker sites, and this pass-through permit forbids camping there on your first night.
How many people per day get a Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel permit?
NPS sets the quota at 20 people per day: 12 by lottery 24 weeks in advance and 8 first-come, first-served one week in advance.
How far is Waterwheel Falls on the Glen Aulin trail?
NPS puts Waterwheel Falls at 8.2 miles from the trailhead, with Glen Aulin at 5.3 and Twin Bridges at 4.0.
Where can I camp on a Glen Aulin pass-through permit?
Anywhere legal beyond the Glen Aulin backpacker sites. NPS bars those sites on your first night, so plan for the canyon below the camp or the country beyond it.
Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel trail conditions and trip reports
Trail Conditions(5)
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Write the First ReportAlternatives to a Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel permit
- Similar ExperiencePermit required
Glen Aulin
The same trail on the permit that requires a first night at the High Sierra Camp.
Tradeoffs
A larger quota at 25 people a day, and a much shorter trip.
- Similar ExperiencePermit required
White Wolf to Pate Valley
Drops into the same Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne from the Tioga Road side.
Tradeoffs
A 30-people-a-day quota and a shorter route to Pate Valley, with less waterfall walking.
- Same AreaPermit required
Ten Lakes
The Tioga Road route onto the rim above the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne.
Tradeoffs
Views into the canyon rather than a walk through it, on the park's biggest quota.
Where to stay near Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel
- Leo Carrillo Sp Canyon Campground (sites 1-24, 78-133)Leo Carrillo SP
- Leo Carrillo Sp Canyon Campground (sites 25-77, 134-139)Leo Carrillo SP
- Circle X Ranch Group CampgroundSanta Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
- All California campgrounds
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